Rep. Altendorf Legislative Update

WHAT'S NEW?

I spent some time in the district this week getting a tour of the Red Wing Waste Campus with Red Wing City Council Members, Vicki Jo Lambert, Janie Farrar, and Kim Beise.

Being on the Minnesota House Energy Committee, I was very excited for this tour. Jeff Schneider is the Director and is doing an impressive job managing this facility! It is clean, organized and runs smoothly.

Following that visit, we went to see Leon Lenertz, the Xcel Energy Red Wing Steam Plant Superintendent. He gave us a tour and an up close look at how garbage that was sorted and shredded is now burned for energy! This is such a smart and well-run operation! These are the kinds of energy projects we should be promoting and prioritizing as they are also keeping garbage out of Minnesota’s landfills.

LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTS

As this is a budget year, the House Democrat majority finance committees are wrapping up their work, approving their expensive spending proposals, and sending them to the House floor for a full debate.

You’ll recall Governor Walz, the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the Minnesota House – all Democrats - recently agreed to waste the overwhelming majority your $17 billion budget surplus and raise government spending by 35%. In total, they agreed to spend $70 billion on state government programs over the next two years. In this current budget cycle, we are spending $52 billion, which is already too much.

On Wednesday, the Democrats approved their Legacy funding and higher education spending bills. More egregious agency spending proposals and plenty of misplaced priorities will be arriving on the floor in the next week or two. Unfortunately, as we recently learned, nursing homes are not a House Democrat budget priority.

NURSING HOME CRISIS MUST BE ADDRESSED

In politics, the word “crisis” is often thrown about liberally and without context. But when discussing our nursing homes and the overwhelming challenges they are facing in the State of Minnesota, the word “crisis” is the only description that can be used.

In Minnesota, the number of Minnesotans aged 65 or older is now more than 1.3 million. Many of these residents will eventually need the skilled caregiving that a nursing home can provide, yet our nursing homes are struggling mightily to meet the needs of our elderly.

In October, 11,000 senior citizens were turned away from long-term care settings. Since 2020, almost 2,600 nursing home beds have been taken out of service. That is the equivalent of more than fifty 50-bed nursing homes. 15 nursing homes have also closed permanently during this time frame, including a facility in Crookston that announced its closure just last month.

The reasons? The COVID pandemic, inflation and increased operating costs, pay challenges with wages rising faster than what had been budgeted, and a workforce shortage that is estimated at 20,000. In some cases, nursing homes have been forced to take out loans in order to make ends meet, and now they are at the point where they can no longer receive credit.

The inability to fully staff our nursing homes also creates unwanted stress on our hospitals, as nearly 20% of their bedspace is being taken up by people who should be recovering in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

I have yet to hear from a nursing home that is currently operating at full capacity. In fact, a facility in Cannon Falls recently shut down due to a leak in its roof.

I've reached out to the nursing homes in our district to discuss the challenges they are facing. This includes the Bay View Nursing Center in Red Wing, which is one of only two nursing homes in Minnesota that offers specialty care for traumatic brain injuries and other high-level needs. The message from all of them is nearly identical: We are facing a crisis and we need help.

With a $17 billion budget surplus, we are in a position to take care of our nursing homes once and for all. Yet, in the health and human services budget bill recently brought forward by the House Democrat majority, a piddly $3.9 million in new funding was offered to address this statewide emergency.

In contrast, House Democrats did find $40 million to allocate for Hollywood producer credits, and $194 million to fund a high-speed train to Duluth.

These continued misplaced Democrat priorities would almost be laughable if the end game for our nursing homes wasn’t so serious. If more facilities close, where will our patients go? Hospital care is far more expensive than what is charged in nursing homes, so would it not make sense to do right by our nursing homes for all involved?

It's financially wise to fund our nursing homes, prioritize our elderly and disabled residents, and entice more of our workforce to consider a career in these facilities. Before Democrats waste this historic $17 billion budget surplus on new and expanded government programs, they should join Republicans in advocating for our senior citizens and those who care for them by ending this nursing home funding crisis.

YOUR 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

For those passionate about your 2nd Amendment Rights – this was my speech that I gave at the State Capitol with the Minnesota Gun Owner’s Caucus.  FACTS OVER FEAR! Click here to watch!

I am honored to be a voice for all the people in our district and in Minnesota and I will keep fighting for our freedoms and Constitutional rights! God bless!!!